Medford Courses   

This beginning guitar course will concentrate on chords. Each session will include learning the chords for a few easy songs, and perhaps, time permitting, some more advanced songs. Students will have the option of learning at least one song of their choice. Instruction will include the parts of the guitar, including string names, how to tune a guitar, and how to play the basic scale and basic chords. The course will include workshop sessions for individual instruction and will end with an opportunity for all students to play one song they have learned for the group.

NOTE: Students must have their own guitar and a music stand for reading music while practicing the guitar. The instructor will recommend a reference book on guitar chords.

This course will explore healthy preparation for end-of-life planning. Each of the sessions will be led by an expert on the different aspects of end-of-life preparation and palliative and hospice care. This course will use an informational format with ample time for discussion and questions. Topics will include: 1) importance of end-of-life planning and communicating with those important in your life; 2) importance of caregiver health, support, and use of resources during this difficult time. There will be a tour of Celia’s House in Medford during this 90-minute session; and 3) discussing hospice, palliative, and home care and the use of these services during this period of life. This course is open to any student who wishes to gain an important understanding in preparing for this phase of life. The students should be prepared to share their experiences. This is the first of two courses on the subject of end-of-life care.  

NOTE: Students should be open to sharing their experiences, concerns, and worries about the subject.  

This three-session course will focus on important services and support one can receive when providing end-of-life care. Each of the three hourly sessions will be led by an expert on the different services and support options that are available during this difficult period. The course will use an informational format with ample time for discussion and questions. Topics will include: 1) stages of dying and the process individuals and families go through, 2) the role of spiritual and self-care, and 3) bereavement support and the value of recognizing grief. During these sessions, we will also focus on caregiver guilt and identifying ways to enhance caregiver self-care. This course is open to any student who wishes to gain an important understanding in preparing for this phase of life. This is the second of two courses on end-of-life care.  

NOTE: Students may take Part 1 or Part 2 or both courses.

This highly interactive, informal class will give you a chance to improve your Russian. We will use a minimum of English, and repeat and contextualize Russian so that everyone understands and can respond in Russian. Grammar will be discussed only as needed, as our focus will be on using Russian. The free online textbook, “Mezhdu Nami,” provides some materials, along with a selection of short readings, songs, and poems.

NOTE: We don’t expect students with fluent Russian. Experience shows that some students struggle with pronunciation, some with cases, and some with the Cyrillic alphabet. For the latter, our course, Cyrillic: An Introduction, is recommended.

This course is intended for anyone interested in visiting the national parks and learning about the great lodges that were built to attract tourists to these national treasures. There are 15 great lodges — built between 1910 and 1938 — still operating. The course will look at the history of the lodges, their architecture, their amenities, their special features, and their relationship to the parks. Each class will include some history of the related national parks but will focus on how the lodges meld with this history. The instructors will provide tips on how to plan your visits and optimize your adventure based on their personal experiences visiting each of these lodges. The course will consist of a series of lectures supported by slide-show presentations highlighting photography of the lodges and national parks.

NOTE: There is no class on Monday, January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The 47th president will be inaugurated on January 20, and two weeks earlier the 119th Congress will have been sworn in. The country could have a president and Congress of one political party, a president and a Congress of different parties, or a Congress with divided party majorities in the House and Senate. We will have lots to talk about, beginning with the results of the November election, the new president’s formation of a government leadership team, and the makeup and leaders of the House and Senate. Articles I and II of the Constitution will be reviewed, along with how those provisions have evolved over the past two centuries. Current issues will also be discussed. Students should have opinions to be shared and a respect for the views of others.

NOTE: There are two sections of this course offered: one is at the Campbell Center in Ashland; the other is at the Higher Education Center in Medford.

Since its appearance in the 8th century BCE, “The Odyssey” has always been profoundly entertaining, a fascinating tale that illuminates the human condition in multiple ways. In our lifetimes, though, it had settled into the male-generated “canon” of Western literature most of us experienced only in school. When Emily Wilson’s translation appeared in 2017, the first in English by a woman, it kindled an excitement well beyond the classroom. What might be revealed about the world of the poem — and thus about our own world — when it was re-created with a scholar’s precision but with a female sensitivity about what and who matters? We will explore together “The Odyssey” in Wilson’s translation and, hopefully, “arrive where we started/ And know the place for the first time.”

NOTE: “The Odyssey,” translated by Emily Wilson, is a required text. Because the course will be almost entirely discussion, students will be expected to read the assigned portions prior to each class.

Will icy roads slow the drive to work tomorrow? Will snow levels result in school closures next week? Will wildfires be severe this summer? Weather has major impact on our lives. Meteorologists strive to provide forecasts that will answer these questions and help us prepare for and mitigate weather’s effects. We will explore the methods meteorologists use to predict short and long-term weather patterns. Weather is very complex and is affected by many factors. The accuracy of forecasts often depends on the level of detail available for use in models, which may be lacking. Topics covered will include atmospheric composition, structure, circulation, and energy transfer; impacts of mountains and oceans on weather patterns; and many other factors influencing weather. A wide range of atmospheric hazards such as hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, drought, flooding, and climate change will be explored. Students who take this course will better understand how the atmosphere works. 

NOTE: There is no class on Monday, January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.